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Description

Watermark:

Map of Barbados and waves.

Avers:

Samuel Jackman Prescod (1806 – 26 September 1871) became the first person of African descent to be elected to the Parliament of Barbados, in 1843. He also helped found the Liberal Party, whose following included small landowners, businessmen, and coloured clerks. The Parliament of Barbados has enacted that he should be styled as "The Right Excellent" and that his life be celebrated on National Heroes Day (28 April) in Barbados.

Prescod was born as the son of a free woman of colour, Lidia Smith, and a wealthy white father, William Prescod. He was given his forenames for Samuel Jackman, a local white planter.

Prescod was excluded from politics in Barbados. A law of 1697 required that all voters should be white, own 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land and be of the Christian religion. In fact it was not until 1721 that non-whites testimony was accepted in a court in Barbados.

Samuel began his political work in 1829 and it was on 9 June 1831 a major change took place that allowed coloured people the same rights to vote as white people. The new act passed by Sir James Lyon, the Governor, removed "certain restraints and disabilities imposed by law on His Majesty's Free Coloured and Free Black Subjects in this Island." Postage stamps of both Lyon and Prescod were issued in 2006 to commemorate this event.

Although it was said that Prescod bore "no distinguishing marks of negro complexion" he was still subject to the racial discrimination endemic at that time. Even though he was well educated, a journalist and an acknowledged leader of the coloured community, he was thrown out of the Barbados House of Representatives for observing the political process like any other citizen was entitled to.

It was not until 1836 that non-whites were given their first newspaper, which was called the New Times. Samuel served for eight months without being paid, before the job was taken away from him as it was felt that his ideas were too radical. Prescod moved on to another paper, The Liberal, which was where he found his voice. This paper was targeted at working- and middle-class people irrespective of colour. The paper got into financial difficulties and Prescod was able to buy it in partnership with a man called Thomas Harris. Harris allowed him editorial freedom and this led to problems with the establishment, who saw him as challenging the plantocracy.

In 1838, the concept of slavery was finally outlawed and about 80,000 slaves in Barbados lost their former status. Prescod, however, wrote:

"Fellow Men and Friends I have lived to see you declared free men and I hope ... to live and see you made free..."

Prescod was aware that the laws preventing all from voting would prevent all the Barbadians from being truly free.

Prescod is to the right of this painting of the 1840 Anti-Slavery Convention. Move your cursor to identify him or click the icon to enlarge

In 1840, Prescod journeyed to London to attend the World's Anti-Slavery Convention on 12 June 1840. The picture above shows him in a painting made to commemorate the event which attracted delegates from America, France, Haiti, Australia, Ireland, Jamaica and Barbados.

In July 1840, Prescod wrote to the Colonial Office in Barbados as a leader of the coloured community. He was protesting at the high prices that landowners were putting on small plots of land. This was important, since the white owners were using this as a device to prevent other races from entering the land-owning middle class. Moreover, the ability to vote was linked to land ownership. Investigations by the Colonial Office confirmed Prescod's suspicions and the landowners were indeed buying up any small plots of land that did become available, even if this meant some small hardship for themselves. He was successful in getting a change in the law but the effect was minimal. In 1840 there were 1,153 voters; historian Hilary Beckles calculates there was still less than five per cent of the population voting after the bill was passed on 6 June 1840, with the number of eligible voters in 1849 showing only a moderate increase to 1,322.

1840 must have been a very busy year for Prescod, as not only was he writing letters of protest and travelling to Europe and back but he also served eight days in gaol for criminal libel arising out of his editorial freedom with The Liberal newspaper. However, importantly the change in the emancipation had created a new constituency of "Bridgetown".

The Parliament building stands to the north of what is now called National Heroes Square

On 6 June 1843, Prescod was one of two people elected from the new constituency of Bridgetown. This was particularly difficult, as not only had he to overcome the prejudices, he had to work especially hard since it was only people who owned land who could vote. Moreover, this was not a secret ballot. At that time the polling booth was a piece of paper with the names of the candidates shown. Beneath the name of your choice you had to sign your name for all to see.

Prescod was always in opposition to the government, but he worked with others to create the Liberal Party. He was particularly noted for his work in creating educational facilities for the children of ex-slaves. This was not just primary and secondary education, but tertiary too, so it is appropriate that a polytechnic for islanders is named after him.

He retired in 1860 and accepted a position as Judge of the Assistant Court of Appeal.

Prescod died in 1871 at the age of 65 on 26 September and he was interred at St. Mary's Church in Bridgetown. The local Barbados Times described him as "the great tribune of the people".

Left of center is the coat of arms.

The coat of arms of Barbados was adopted on 14 February 1966 by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II. The coat of arms of Barbados was presented by the Queen to the President of the Senate, Sir Grey Massiah. Like other former British possessions in the Caribbean, the coat of arms has a helmet with a national symbol on top, and a shield beneath that is supported by two animals.

The arms were designed by Neville Connell, for many years curator of the Barbados Museum, with artistic assistance by Hilda Ince.

The national symbol found on top of the helmet for Barbados is the fist of a Barbadian holding two stalks of sugar cane, that are crossed to resemble St. Andrew's Cross. This is representative of the importance of the sugar industry as well as Barbados celebrating its national independence day on St. Andrew's Day.

The shield is gold in colour. Upon it are a pair of the national flower, known as the Pride of Barbados, and a single bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia). The shield is supported by a dolphin fish and a pelican. They stand for the fishing industry and Pelican Island, respectively.

At the bottom is Barbados' national motto ("Pride and Industry") on a scroll.

Centered is the Sailfin Flyingfish (Parexocoetus brachypterus).

The sailfin flyingfish (Parexocoetus brachypterus) is a member of the flying fish family. Like other members its family, P. brachypterus is known for its ability to leap out of the water and glide above its surface. They have a distribution range that encompasses the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It is an epipelagic fish and can be found in in coastal waters but are rarely encountered in open oceans. They are known to spawn during the months of September to April in the waters near Barbados and Puerto Rico. Appearance wise, the sailfin flyingfish is known to have a robust build, blunt snout, short pectoral fins and having a long dorsal fin.

On background is the trident.

The trident symbol was taken from Barbados' colonial badge, where the trident of Poseidon is shown with Britannia holding it. The broken lower part symbolizes a symbolic break from its status as a colony. The three points of the trident represent the three principles of democracy: 1) government of the people, 2) government for the people, and 3) government by the people.

Denominations in numerals are in all corners, in words centered.

Revers:

National Heroes Square, formerly Trafalgar Square, is located in Bridgetown, the capital and principal commercial center of the island-nation of Barbados. The square lies along Upper Broad Street and is on the northern shore of the Careenage ("Constitution River"), found directly in the center of Bridgetown.

The current name of the square was not so long ago - in 1999. Before that, it was Trafalgar Square - an echo of English colonization. Yes, and the square itself is an exact copy of London. On the square of heroes also stands a column with a monument to Admiral Nelson. By the way, Nelson in Barbados appeared earlier than in London. This happened in 1813, and the English twin was only put in thirty years.

The Heroes' Square is also a kind of zero kilometer. In Bridgetown it is customary to measure the distance from this area, or rather from its column.

The Government House (the 18th century), the Central Bank, the Parliament decorated with a small Big Ben, and the oldest building of the city - the attorney's office of Harford-Chambers, adjoin the square. The office building attracts attention with uneven masonry and Gothic pediments. The main decoration of the Square is the Anglican Church of St. Michael (1789). More than once the cathedral was destroyed by hurricanes, but it was always restored, as it was George Washington himself who prayed in his walls when he lived in the current house museum of Washington.

The Parliament Buildings (also known as The Public Buildings, or more rarely Parliament House), is the seat of the Parliament of Barbados. Built between 1870 and 1874, the buildings have been the meeting place for both chambers of Parliament since 16 June 1874, and a former site of Colonial administration of Barbados. It consists of two buildings in the neo-Gothic architectural style, and are reminiscent of the Victorian era of Great Britain.

The buildings are situated along the north bank of the Constitution River and are bordered by Upper Broad Street and National Heroes Square to the south; strategically at the heart of the capital city Bridgetown. Prior to the establishment of the buildings the legislature met at the Town Hall building on Coleridge Street.

In 1989 the Public Buildings were officially renamed the Parliament Buildings by Act of Parliament. In 2011 both buildings were designated as UNESCO protected properties within the World Heritage Site of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison area.

Careenage is the deep harbor of Bridgetown at the mouth of the Constitution River.

Not far from Trafalgar Square are two bridges, from where you can see a magnificent view of the bay of Careenage, and you can see how the elongated water ribbon literally breaks into the center of the city. Harbor Careenage serves as a parking lot for cruise liners, luxury yachts.

Cenotaph or War Memorial is visible on right side.

This War Memorial with its obelisk grey granite structure and coral stone basin is located in National Heroes Square and was erected in 1925 by the The Legislature of Barbados. This four panel War Memorial was erected in memory of those Barbadians who lost their lives in World War 1. (1914 - 1918)

The names of those Barbadians who lost their lives in World War II (1935 - 1945) were added in 1953 on a fourth panel.

In Barbados, a Remembrance Day Parade is held at the War Memorial which is located at National Heroes Square in Bridgetown. Churches from all over Barbados take part in this special early morning parade.

The Royal Barbados Police Force Band would normally play for both the parade and also for the march that takes place from Central Police Station to National Heroes’ Square.

Members of a number of armed and unarmed uniformed groups including The Close-up of the Names Inscribed on the War Memorial, Located in Bridgetown, Barbados Red Cross Society, The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Legion, The Royal Barbados Police Force, The Barbados Cadet Corps, The Barbados Prison Service, Barbados Boy Scouts, The Girl Guide Association of Barbados, The Barbados Fire Service, The St. John Ambulance Brigade and The Barbados Coast Guard take part in this parade.

Wreaths are laid at the War Memorial by the Governor General, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Opposition Leader, members of the diplomatic corps and other dignitaries at the end of the Two Minute Silence and the Sounding of the Last Post.

Family members of those who died in both World Wars are also to get involved in this wreath laying ceremony.

Ben’s Spring is one of the fresh water springs that flow from the base of the upper coral rock terrace that make up the center of the island. These coral rocks were the first to rise above the sea 1 to 2 million years ago.

In 1860 the Barbados Government decided that it was time that piped drinking water was provided for the inhabitants of Bridgetown.

Up to that time there was no piped water. Each property had its own well. In addition there were a few springs in the area, notably in the areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Spring Garden. This was a very unsanitary situation as each house also had a toilet well, usually close to the water well.

To get the water into Bridgetown a 12-inch cast iron pipe was laid from Ben’s Spring, in New Castle, St. John, to Bridgetown. The engineers laid the pipe so that the water flowed by gravity from the source to Bridgetown. This was an amazing engineering achievement, as it had to take a route that would not rise above the source height.

Ben’s Spring is approximately 100 Meters above sea level and the distance to town would be about 25 Km.

From New Castle it went down to Bath Plantation, passing close Bath Sugar Factory, up to Codrington College, Palmers, Between Oughterson and Busy Park, St. Philips Church, through the St. George valley, running parallel to the Train Line, and into the city.

The Pipe was completed on 29 March 1861. Fountain "Dolphin" was built in Trafalgar Square in honor of this achievement, on the donations of the wealthy Jewish merchant John Montefiore, in tribute of this achievement. The acting governor, Robert Millar Mundy Esq., officially opened it on the 27 July 1865 on behalf of the government of the island. The plaque on the side says: “This fountain was erected by public subscription to commemorate the bringing of piped water to the City of Bridgetown on 29 March 1861. Opened by acting Governor – Robert Miller Mundy ESQ. on the 27th July 1865 who accepted custody of this fountain on behalf of the Government of Barbados.”

Sections of this pipe are still in use although it is a constant source of leaks. It is over 140 years old, and the route in St. John is known for landslides.

Between Codrington College and Consett Bay it descends into a valley before climbing up to Palmers and Thicket. The pressure that the old pipe had to withstand was demonstrated a few years ago when a fitting failed and the water was spouting about 30 meters straight up.

The Barbados Water Authority is in the process of replacing it with a PVC pipe.

This is another example of Bajan ingenuity and hard work. It got fresh water to town without contributing to global warming! (www.barbadospocketguide.com)

Denominations in numerals are in three corners, in words - in lower left corner.